There were many practices in the ancient world, that were meant to "communicate with the gods", receive visions, etc. Look at the native american "vision quest". Organized religion destroyed a lot of these.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divination
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%85rsg%C3%A5ng
From Småland and Blekinge, the year walker was supposed to lock himself up in a dark room, without speaking to anyone nor taste food or drink. At midnight, he (or she) walked to the parish church – or a cluster of different churches – and circled it three times (or more), then he (or she) blew into the church’s key hole. With this the year walker temporarily lost his (or her) Christianity. When this happened, supernatural beings appeared and challenged the year walker. If the walker managed these tests, glimpses of the future could appear; either in vision or by sounds. These could be interpreted as glimpses of what would happen the following year. The phenomena could vary greatly regionally or even in the same district.
Year Walkers should not have seen the light of fire over the same time course. The person should have fasted and express deep earnestness. He or she did not greet an oncomer, nor did they speak or laugh. If the person saw graves thrown up in the cemetery, it meant that a plague was coming. If he or she saw small men (dwarves or elves) carry sheaves, or saw the person riding with mice pulling a hay cart, it was thought that one could expect a good harvest. If the person it was hewn in the woods or if they saw armed men riding on the roads, it meant that war should be expected.
If someone (in a regular manner) had gone Year Walking for seven years and on the last night, met a mounted man, who had a 'runkavle' in the mouth, and if the Year Walker was then brave enough and strong enough to snatch this, he or she became known as "wise". That is, he/she had gained knowledge of all hidden things and could see into the future, without ever again having to do a Year Walk.
Organized religion tells people that only the "authorithy" knows the truth, and they should not search it themselves.
Jesus said, "I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained.
Split a piece of wood; I am there.
Lift up the stone, and you will find me there
This Jesus guy did not bother explaining much, he liked talking in parables, and soon the disciples in their wisdom started worshiping him as a person, the rest is history... He should have said "we are", or "I found out what I am but you are also the same thing"...
In fact he did say it, but his disciples (now wealthy and powerful in the human realm) made sure to censor him,
the gospel of Thomas was not included in the bible:
If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the (Father's) kingdom is within you and it is outside you.
When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."